Hello everyone! New to the forum but had trains since the 50’s. Hope I’m asking an appropriate question.
I have a new layout with O-36 fastrack and have been wanting to add a new Lionel Steamer but the suggested operating radius for it is O-42. Question…How does Lionel (or any mfg.) determine what that radius should be? I have new Lionel E-6 A-A Diesels that operate just fine on my O-36 even though the enclosed literature for the engines says it should be O-42. Since Lionel doesn’t make O-42 fastrack and the O-36 isn’t “that much smaller”, what would happen with their new Mikado Steamer, a 2-8-2 engine. Is it a mechanical problem? does the wireless tether not work? will it jump the track??
A question to Lionel just got an answer that it should be O-42 with no explanation as to why.
By the way, I don’t really have the room to add O-48 fastrac.
George
I guess I’m one that needs to know the reason why things work or don’t work!
The O36 of fastrack is measured to the center rail; so it is comparable to something like O38 in tubular track, which is measured to the outsides of the ties. That puts you a little closer to O42.
Often the specified diameter isn’t selected for any mechanical reason, but just because the manufacturer thinks it looks better. I run a lot of stuff on O27 that was not meant for it; but I often have to make minor modifications too. If I’m not mistaken, MTH never claims that anything of theirs will work on less than O31, but much of it will.
I know that some cars just physically won’t work on O-27 that are rated for O-31.
The Mikado 6-11139 being a 2-8-2 may have issues with the 8 driving wheels, but I do have another 8 wheeler that is the same length (20 3/4") that does work.
I really want to be sure before I buy as it is “sorta pricey” (750.00)
Your trains of the fifties were more toy than trains today. They were engineered to run on tighter radii. They had longer couplers and were in general shortened versions of the prototypes they were based on. Minimum Radius came to be as the hobby shifted to more scale versions. Sometimes it’s the actual operation, when an engine will derail or car corners will crunch on tight curves. Sometimes it’s a matter of too much overhang and “doesn’t look right”
In general you should try to use the widest curves you can even if trains will run on tighter track. Operation is smoother with less wear and tear on both track and train.
It is usually based on operating characteristics such as flanges binding on tighter radius curves or the ability of components to “swing” easily or the stress on wire harnesses that weren’t meant to be pulled that far out of alignment. If you can see the loco in question at a local hobby shop in operation on track similar to what you are using you have a better shot at finding out whether the loco can do what you are asking.
Actually, this is an excellent question, and one that may not have a 100% answer. Obviously, a engine rated for a 072 curve won’t work on a 036, but the small differences you refer to may warrent testing of the actual engine. Personally, I have a doubt that a manuf. would discourage a sale simply because they think something would’nt “look good”. Joe
I believe your best bet would be to buy it from a dealer who can let you give the engine a test run in the store on O36 Fastrack to see how it runs.
Another option that could work, if you don’t have the room for O48 Fastrack, would be to do transition curves. Instead of going straight-o36-o36-straight to get around a corner, do o48-o36-o48 or even o63-o36-o63 to get around the corner. It ends up taking about the same amount of space yet gives you most of the benefit of the wider curves. Sometimes it’s the slamming into a sharp curve after a long straightaway that causes problems for an engine, and hitting a gentler curve to ease in and out of the sharp curve solves the problem.
I’ve used O54 curves to ease into sharper curves on my tubular layout to let me run engines that shouldn’t run. I’ve gotten O42-minimum engines to run on Marx O34 curves by transitioning with the O54s.
Thank you everyone for your good thoughts on this issue. Although I have no doubt that this engine will work on my layout, just to be safe I will go to the train shop and try out something of similar type on O-36.
When I first decided to get the stuff out of storage and set it up, I chose to purchase Fastrack with no intention of buying anything else new, however, as I got into it and discovered what is being made today, (TMCC, Railsounds, etc.) I couldn’t resist. Got the “bug” ya know!
Sounds like a very interesting idea, but will either of the above configurations make a 90 degree curve? I’ve never heard of O63 FasTrack. O36 is 16 pieces per circle, so 2 pieces = 90 degree curve. O48 is 12 pieces per circle, so 3 pieces = 90 degrees, so wouldn’t O48-O36-O48 be greater than 90 degrees? O36, O60, O72 Fastrack are all 16 pieces per circle, so does that mean any combination of 2 of these radius curves would create a 90 degree turn?
Why doesn’t Lionel have a FasTrack designer available?
Yes, you have to be careful what you match up. Sorry, I’m not too familiar with Fastrack geometry. You could do o60-o36-o36-o60 to get around a corner to do 90 degrees. Or better yet, use O72s. use shorter straights going into the curve to make it all fit in the space you have available.
The O-48 FastTrack is a little odd in that it subtends in 30 degree increments (aka an odd number of pieces to make a quater circle). All of the other track sections come in sections that are multiples of two. There are supposed to be 1/2 and 1/4 sections of O-36. As Dave noted, a half circle of 60-36-36-60 might do the trick.
It’s actually 8 pieces of full O-36 to a circle but there are now 1/2 and 1/4 sections of O-36. Two sections will do 90 degree but there is no way to “fix” the problem with the O-48 sections having a 30 degree arc.